1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to merchandise support bracketry, such as for use with existing upright gondola or merchandising support structures. More particularly, the present invention discloses an aisle way end extender bracket for use with such a vertically extending merchandising support and which extends in parallel fashion from an extending aisle end of the upright support back wall.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical merchandise display assemblies include the provision of upright gondola supports. Such gondola assemblies further typically include an elongate, lengthwise extending back wall and from which extend, in opposite and multi-tiered fashion, pluralities of shelving portions upon which the merchandised goods are supported and displayed.
As is further known, the amount of merchandising shelf space provided by an existing gondola display unit is limited to the supporting and carrying capacity of its various tiers. Accordingly, attempts have been made to increase the effective carrying space of the gondola display through the provision of merchandise carrying and display structures. These support structures are typically attachable to either on or more gondola shelves or, alternatively, to the elongate extending back wall of the existing gondola display (such facing outwardly into the aisle space defined adjacent to the extending gondola display). Prior art examples of such merchandising displays include such as those taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,167, issued to Menaged et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,286, issued to Shea, and are each capable of carrying additional quantities of typically smaller sized merchandise.
Additional attempts have been made to exploit the extending ends of the gondola displays in order to further increase the product carrying capability. However it has been found that such merchandise extension displays as taught by Menaged and Shea are not well suited for use with the end (or side) extending edges of the gondola displays, typically in view of the extent in which the merchandising display extends into airspace reserved for customer traffic.
Along the above lines, end cap merchandising assemblies (these being shelf-like and upwardly extending displays) have likewise been found to sufficiently cut into available end aisle traffic space such that they are often impractical to employ. Additionally, it has been found that the relatively narrow side profile of the existing gondola display, such as provided by the gondola's upwardly extending back wall, is not well suited for accommodating such separate end cap displays.
Additional examples of prior art display bracketry include U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,148, issued to Guinter, which teaches a bracket releasably secured to existing display uprights. In use, two brackets support a display cross bar to create a rack for displaying retail products.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,686, issued to Kersey, teaches a mounting bracket for a hanger arm that is supported on a hang rod. The bracket is positioned on one end of the hanger arm and is disposed for engaging the hang rod to mount the hanger arm thereon. A pin is moveably positioned in the bracket with one end extending from the bracket towards the hang rod. The pin releasably engages the hang rod to maintain the bracket and hanger arm in position on the hang rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,431, issued to Kiggins, teaches a support member for mounting from a conventional fixed support, and for visual and tactile purposes, an item of merchandise. Variants of Kiggins include both screw mounting foot supports and “U” shaped bracket supports (for securing within inwardly recessed track or “C” channels defined along extending edges of the gondola display shelf).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,404, as well as U.S. Design Pat. No. 335,623, both issued to Salrin et al., disclose an angled display assembly having a plurality of product display fixtures attached to and spaced along a polygonal display standard. Each of the display fixtures includes an inverted, generally “U” shaped mounting bracket designed to slidably clamp over the display standard. A supporting arm extends outwardly from the mounting bracket and includes proximal and distal portions.